Median age by country: the world's oldest populations

Japan, Italy and the rest of the world's oldest populations, ranked by median age since 1950.

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What the data shows

In 2023, Japan ranks #1 with 49.0 yrs, ahead of Italy (47.5 yrs) and Portugal (46.2 yrs).
Back in 1950, Germany was #1 with 32.9 yrs.
The top spot changed hands once: Japan in 1990.
Biggest climber: Japan, from #10 in 1950 to #1 in 2023.
Japan grew 2.3× between 1950 and 2023.

About this chart

The median age splits a population in half: half are older, half younger. In 1950 the oldest countries were in Western and Northern Europe. Since then low birth rates and long lives have pushed Japan, Southern Europe and East Asia to the top.

Countries with fewer than one million people are excluded. Data are UN estimates from World Population Prospects 2024.

The data

Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024 via Our World in Data, median age in years; countries over 1 million people. Retrieved November 3, 2026.

The oldest countries in the world, Median age, years, 1950–2023
Date	🇯🇵 Japan	🇮🇹 Italy	🇵🇹 Portugal	🇭🇰 Hong Kong	🇬🇷 Greece	🇵🇷 Puerto Rico	🇩🇪 Germany	🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina	🇪🇸 Spain	🇭🇷 Croatia	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	🇷🇸 Serbia
1950	21.3 yrs	27.5 yrs	25.0 yrs	22.8 yrs	24.6 yrs	17.1 yrs	32.9 yrs	19.0 yrs	26.5 yrs	25.4 yrs	26.0 yrs	24.5 yrs
1955	22.7 yrs	29.2 yrs	26.2 yrs	22.9 yrs	26.0 yrs	17.3 yrs	33.2 yrs	20.1 yrs	27.7 yrs	26.4 yrs	27.8 yrs	25.8 yrs
1960	24.7 yrs	30.5 yrs	26.8 yrs	22.2 yrs	27.5 yrs	17.4 yrs	33.7 yrs	20.5 yrs	28.4 yrs	28.0 yrs	29.4 yrs	27.7 yrs
1965	26.6 yrs	31.3 yrs	27.9 yrs	20.0 yrs	30.0 yrs	19.0 yrs	33.5 yrs	20.9 yrs	29.2 yrs	29.6 yrs	31.0 yrs	29.5 yrs
1970	28.3 yrs	31.9 yrs	28.6 yrs	19.3 yrs	32.3 yrs	20.3 yrs	33.2 yrs	21.2 yrs	29.1 yrs	31.2 yrs	32.3 yrs	31.1 yrs
1975	29.7 yrs	32.5 yrs	28.7 yrs	22.2 yrs	32.8 yrs	22.1 yrs	34.4 yrs	22.8 yrs	29.0 yrs	32.1 yrs	32.7 yrs	32.1 yrs
1980	31.7 yrs	33.0 yrs	29.5 yrs	24.5 yrs	32.8 yrs	23.5 yrs	35.7 yrs	24.7 yrs	29.8 yrs	32.2 yrs	33.2 yrs	32.5 yrs
1985	34.5 yrs	34.6 yrs	31.1 yrs	27.0 yrs	33.5 yrs	25.4 yrs	35.9 yrs	26.6 yrs	30.9 yrs	33.2 yrs	34.3 yrs	34.0 yrs
1990	36.9 yrs	36.1 yrs	33.2 yrs	29.9 yrs	35.0 yrs	27.4 yrs	36.6 yrs	28.7 yrs	32.5 yrs	34.6 yrs	35.6 yrs	35.8 yrs
1995	39.0 yrs	37.9 yrs	35.1 yrs	32.6 yrs	36.0 yrs	29.3 yrs	37.3 yrs	32.1 yrs	34.3 yrs	36.8 yrs	37.3 yrs	37.6 yrs
2000	40.8 yrs	39.2 yrs	36.7 yrs	35.0 yrs	37.0 yrs	31.3 yrs	39.0 yrs	32.7 yrs	36.3 yrs	38.6 yrs	38.7 yrs	39.1 yrs
2005	42.6 yrs	40.8 yrs	38.4 yrs	37.7 yrs	38.3 yrs	33.6 yrs	41.0 yrs	35.0 yrs	37.8 yrs	40.0 yrs	40.1 yrs	40.2 yrs
2010	44.2 yrs	42.5 yrs	40.5 yrs	39.9 yrs	40.3 yrs	36.1 yrs	43.3 yrs	38.1 yrs	39.2 yrs	41.0 yrs	41.1 yrs	41.2 yrs
2015	45.8 yrs	44.4 yrs	42.8 yrs	41.7 yrs	42.7 yrs	39.9 yrs	44.8 yrs	41.2 yrs	41.6 yrs	42.3 yrs	42.5 yrs	42.2 yrs
2020	47.7 yrs	46.4 yrs	45.0 yrs	44.4 yrs	44.3 yrs	44.3 yrs	44.9 yrs	43.8 yrs	43.5 yrs	44.2 yrs	43.9 yrs	43.4 yrs
2023	49.0 yrs	47.5 yrs	46.2 yrs	46.2 yrs	45.7 yrs	45.3 yrs	45.1 yrs	44.9 yrs	44.9 yrs	44.8 yrs	44.3 yrs	43.9 yrs

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Frequently asked questions

Which country has the oldest population?

In 2023, Japan ranks #1 with 49.0 yrs, followed by Italy (47.5 yrs) and Portugal (46.2 yrs). Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024 via Our World in Data, median age in years; countries over 1 million people.

Where does this data come from?

UN World Population Prospects 2024 via Our World in Data, median age in years; countries over 1 million people. Retrieved November 3, 2026. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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